Homoeopathic medicines in leucorrhoeal complaints

Dr Megha Vyas

ABSTRACT

Vaginal discharge is the commonest reproductive tract infection among rural women in many community-based studies in India. This condition may occur due to unhygienic condition, infection to genital tract, and impaired immune function. Most of the women are highly embarrassed by this problem they avoid discussion on this specific topic and so the treatment of leucorrhoea could bit of challenge. leucorrhoea is found in 27.47% females and is more common in married women rather than unmarried one. By focusing on whole person not the specific disease homoeopathy works best in leucorrhoea as well overall health of the patient that is psychological and physiological well-being.

KEYWORDS
Gynaecological problem, leucorrhoea, vaginal discharge, health, homoeopathy.

INTRODUCTION
Leucorrhoea is defined as excessive normal vaginal discharge and the symptom of excessive vaginal discharge are subjective to individual and while to declare it to be normal and non-infective one must go through the clinical and laboratory investigations. The term leucorrhoea should fulfil the following criteria:

• The excessive secretion is evident from persistent vulva moistness or staining of the undergarments or need to wear vulval pad.
• It is non purulent and non- offensive.
• It is non-irritant and never cause pruritus.

It is defined as white fluid discharge from female genital. Sometimes it flows as liquid and sometimes it is sticky and thick. Vaginal discharge up to certain extent are normal and healthy as they flush out dead cells of reproductive organs. In healthy women the discharge is whitish in colour.

The abnormal vaginal discharge may be whitish, yellowish, reddish, and blackish in colour. If there is profuse vaginal discharge that requires pad and is not white but grey white, yellow, red, rust coloured that cause itching than it is considered as serious condition and it requires proper investigation and treatment.

Its major cause is hormonal imbalance especially of estrogen. It is primary female sex hormone which is responsible for regulation and development of female reproductive system and secondary sexual characters. Sometimes estrogen imbalance can cause infertility but leucorrhoea does not cause infertility but the causes of leucorrhoea may do.

etiology

Other causative factors of the disease are as follows:

• Spread of infection from urinary tract.
• Inflammation of uterus.
• Pelvic inflammatory disease.
• Injuries to vagina.
• Allergy or contact dermatitis.
• Infection from bacteria, fungi, parasites.
• Dur to contraceptives
• Poor hygiene.
• Mental anxiety.
• Infection through mildew: any fungus like yeast infects the reproductive organs and cause leucorrhoea.
• Due to sexually transmitted disease: trichomoniasis which makes discharge greenish yellow.
• Various illness: women suffering from various disease like tuberculosis and anaemia get their discharge increased due to weaker immune response and that leads to infection.

Stress or depression: to some level there are physiological factors causing the disease.

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
The basis involved in normal vaginal secretion is dependent on the      endogenous estrogen level.

The excessive secretion is due to:

1. PHYSIOLOGICAL CAUSE: the normal secretion is expected to be increased during estrogen level becomes high. Such conditions are:

During puberty: – increased level of endogenous estrogen lead to marked overgrowth of endocervical epithelium which may encroach onto ectocervix producing erosion and excessive discharge.

During menstrual cycle: – (A) around ovulation there is peak rise of estrogen and increase in secretory activity of cervical glands. (B) premenstrual pelvic congestion and increased mucus secretion from the hypertrophied endometrial glands.

Pregnancy: there is increased vascularity that leads to increase cervical gland secretion.

During sexual excitement: when there is abundant secretion from Bartholin’s gland.

2. CERVCAL CAUSE: non effective cervical lesion may be producing excessive secretion, which pours out at vulva, such lesions are cervical ectopy, chronic cervicitis, mucous polyp, ectropion.
3. VAGINAL CAUSE: increased vaginal transudation occurs in conditions associated with increased pelvic congestion. The condition is uterine prolapse, acquired retroverted uterus, chronic pelvic inflammation etc…
4. PARASITIC LEUCORRHOEA: leucorrhoea is caused by trichomonas, a group of parasitic protozoans, specifically trichomonas vaginalis. Common symptoms of this disease are burning sensation, itching, and discharge of frothy substance, thick, white, or yellow mucus.
5. CAUSE RELETAED TO INFECTION OR INFLAMMATION: bacterial vaginosis, cervicitis, gonorrhoea, PID, trichomoniasis, vaginitis, yeast infection.

SYMPTOMS
Main symptoms of the disease are excessive vaginal discharge, pain in thigh and calf muscle and burning micturition etc. the vaginal colour discharge maybe whitish, yellowish, reddish and blackish.

Other associated symptoms of the disease are:

• Pain and heaviness in abdomen
• Constipation
• Anaemia
• Local soreness
• Lumbago
• Malaise
• Headache and giddiness
• Indigestion
• Paleness
• Anorexia
• Dysmenorrhoea
• General weakness.
• Pruritus

DIAGNOSIS OF LEUCORRHOEA
Patients usually complaints abnormal discharge from vagina with one or more associated complaints of the above-mentioned disease. Discharge looks like white or creamy in colour, sometimes it looks reddish, yellowish, and blackish in colour. General weakness may reveal the ill health of patient which may be due to leucorrhoea.

Further investigations are carried out to identify the organism in discharge and rule out the actual disease.

HISTORY

• Duration of complaint.
• Fungus infection.
• Excessive intercourse.
• About discharge; character, modality etc.

SPECIAL EXAMINATION

• Smears from urethra, vagina and cervix.
• Blood examination.
• Urine examination to see presence of leucocytes in case of vaginitis.
• Biopsy for evidence of malignancy.
• Endocervical swab to diagnose chlamydia.

HOMOEOPATHIC TREATMENT
Homoeopathy can be proved an effective method in treating leucorrhoea as in any disorder we see patient as a whole not only limited in treating sign and symptoms of the disease.

Homoeopathic system applies the law “similia similibus curentur”. It is universal law where the similimum medicine is prescribed on the basis of TOTALITY OF SYMPTOMS.

The following homoeopathic remedies are widely used:

• ALUMINA: leucorrhoea in chlorotic girls that is transparent and yellow in colour. Very profuse and ropy that is more profuse on daytime. Very bad constipation and even soft stool requires great straining.
• BORAX: clear copious and albuminous leucorrhoea. Leucorrhoea as warm water flowing. Leucorrhoea in between menses and with great nervousness. White as starch, perfectly bland without pain.
• CALCAREA CARBONICA: leucorrhoea profuse and milky with persistent yellow and accompanied by itching and burning. It suits leucorrhoea in young girls often occurring before puberty. Leucorrhoea before menses or recurring attacks between the menses. Coldness of hands and feet with profuse and cold sweat.
• HYDRASTASIS: hot watery discharge from uterus. Leucorrhoea tenacious, ropy, thick yellow and there is debility and prolapse of the uteri. pruritis vulva with profuse leucorrhoea; sexual excitement.
• KREOSOTUM: leucorrhoea corrosive or mild and sometimes followed by exhaustions and fatigue especially in legs. Leucorrhoea of yellow colour, staining linen yellow with great weakness in legs. White leucorrhoea with odour of green corn.
• LILIUM TIGRINUM: leucorrhoea white yellow, acrid, excoriating leaving brown stain. Leucorrhoea profuse and accompanied by depression of spirit and bearing down in pelvic region. There is sensation of dragging down starting from shoulder and as would pelvic content would come out unless pressed the region with support of hand.
• KREOSOTUM: In kreosotum there is excessive vaginal discharge sometimes watery and sometimes yellowish leucorrhoea. Much acridity that it excoriates the part that comes in contact with the discharge, smarting and much itching of vulva.
• MAGNESIUM MURIATICUM: leucorrhoea after every stool and uterine spasm. Leucorrhoea two weeks after menses with cramp like pain in abdomen in evening followed by leucorrhoea. Leucorrhoea especially during movement or proceeded by cramps in abdomen.
• NATRUM MURIATICUM: leucorrhoea along with headache and there is acridity and yellow discharge. Bearing down pain worse in morning. Leucorrhoea acrid and watery along with headache that increase by heat of sun.
• NITRIC ACIDUM: leucorrhoea is of cherry brown colour and is foetid. Offensive leucorrhoea and there is excoriation of the parts from leucorrhoea as well as menstrual discharge.
• PULSATILLA: milky leucorrhoea which becomes watery, acrid from being retained in vagina. Thick creamy white leucorrhoea that sometimes replaces menses. Mild yielding female that is irritable due to suffering. Feels better in open air.
• SEPIA: leucorrhoea yellowish and green colour somewhat excoriating along with this there is bearing down sensation that every content of the pelvis would come down. Pain in abdomen with itching in vagina. Leucorrhoea with backache. Leucorrhoea milky worse before menses.

REFERENCES

1. Leucorrhoea from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leukorrhea.
2. Leucorrhoea: cause and symptoms from https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/vaginal-discharge/basics/causes/sym-20050825
3. Dutta’s DC textbook of gynaecology 8^TH
4. Allen TF textbook of pure Materia medica.
5. Kent JT lectures on Materia medica low price edition.
6. Clarke JH A dictionary of practical Materia medica student edition.
7. Burt W H characteristic Materia medica.

Dr Megha Vyas
PG Part-1 (Materia Medica) at Rajkot Homoeopathic Medical College, Rajkot.